An Upstate New York man has been arrested after allegedly hitting a woman in a wheelchair with an SUV.
Terry R. VanValkenburg, 54, of West Chazy, N.Y., was charged Sunday with a felony Vehicle and Traffic Law violation in connection with a hit-and-run collision, according to New York State Police.
Investigators said VanValkenburg was driving a green 2008 Jeep when it struck a female victim operating a motorized wheelchair in Plattsburgh on Thursday. VanValkenburg was traveling northbound on Ampersand Drive around 5:42 p.m. when he failed to observe the woman traveling southbound, hitting her and causing serious injury.
VanValkenburg failed to stop after the collision and fled the scene, police said.
The victim was transported to Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital before being transferred to University of Vermont Medical Center. She was listed in stable condition at the UVM Center on Sunday.
Her name, age, and other details were not released.
VanValkenburg was located and transported to te NYS Police station in Plattsburgh for processing. He was later arraigned in Town of Schuyler Falls Court and remanded to the Clinton County Jail without bail.
This image released by New York State Police shows an SUV that allegedly hit a woman in a wheelchair in Plattsburgh, N.Y., on Feb. 12, 2026.NYS Police
State Police released photos of the vehicle in question Friday. The make, model, license plate number and driver’s identity were not clear, but police said the vehicle was believed to have sustained front-end damage, specifically to the front passenger-side bumper, consistent with striking the victim’s motorized wheelchair.
Plattsburgh and West Chazy are both located in Clinton County, about 160 miles north of Albany.